1 / 13

Environmental Legislation Update

Environmental Legislation Update. For the IEMA on 22 March 2006 Katherine Mills. Introduction. Mop-up exercise for legislation Emerging issues/future changes Good practice guidance available Identify topics for future events. Agenda. Topics to be covered (if time!) include

orenda
Download Presentation

Environmental Legislation Update

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Environmental Legislation Update For the IEMA on 22 March 2006 Katherine Mills IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  2. Introduction • Mop-up exercise for legislation • Emerging issues/future changes • Good practice guidance available • Identify topics for future events IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  3. Agenda Topics to be covered (if time!) include • Water Resources • Climate Change • Hazardous Substances • Waste - Miscellaneous • Green Procurement (Guidance) IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  4. Water Resources Water Act 2003 • Aims to promote the sustainable use of water resources and water conservation • Includes amendments to the Water Resources Act: • Contaminated Land (definition amended to ‘significant’ pollution) • ‘Controlled waters’ (groundwater) definition clarified (excludes groundwater in the unsaturated zone) • Discharge Consents (consent holder transfer measures) • Abstraction Licensing • abstraction of < 20m3/day is exempt • from April 2006 an abstraction licence WILL be required for site dewatering • provisions for emergency abstraction to prevent immediate risk to human beings, damage to works, or to the environment IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  5. Climate Change (Building Regs) Building Regulations Part L (from 6 April 2006) • Enact EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) • Part L2A applies to new buildings and includes a whole building carbon emissions target • Also applies to existing buildings where works are carried out. Minimum performance levels must be met for new boilers, air conditioning, lighting etc • The energy performance of new buildings will need to be about 23-28% better than the original Part L IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  6. Climate Change (Building Regs) Some of the requirements and practical implications: • Working with the supply chain to ensure carbon reduction is a key component of any project • Designers to produce an energy (or asset) rating showing the performance of building fabric and efficiency of services equipment • Designers of large new developments will need to consider Low or Zero Carbon (LZC) technologies, incl. CHP and renewable energy • An air tightness test in new buildings • A building energy log book, and appropriate metering strategy, so the building operator can track energy usage and performance BRE energy performance management software • A tool called SBEM can be found online at: http://www.ncm.bre.co.uk/ IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  7. Climate Change (Energy Efficiency) • Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) • for Water/Energy Saving Plant and Machinery • scheme introduced in 2003 for 100% first-year allowances to encourage investment in water or energy conservation technology • Water and Energy Technology Criteria and Product Lists updated in 2005 to increase range of items that qualify for allowances IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  8. Hazardous Substances (Oil) Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations 2001 (from 1st Sept 2005) • Set strict standards for oil storage facilities to prevent oil pollution of controlled waters • Secondary containment and other physical controls e.g. overfill/automatic shut-off/non-return valves • Covers all domestic tanks over 3,500L and most commercial and public premises • See guidance at Environment Agency’s Netregs site (http://www.netregs.gov.uk) IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  9. Hazardous Substances (REACH) • Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of CHemicals • Encourage replacement of hazardous chemicals with safer ones and spur more R&D into new products • Registration of chemicals produced/imported in quantities >1 tonne p.a. (incl. naturally occurring substances e.g. iron ore) • Potential impact on humans and the environment to be evaluated • ‘Chemicals of high concern’ (up to ~1,500 substances): • Cause cancer, mutation or interfere with reproductive function; • Take a long time to break down, accumulate in the body and are toxic; • Take a very long time to break down and accumulate in the body; • Have serious, irreversible effects on humans and the environment, e.g. disturbance of hormone systems. IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  10. Waste - Miscellaneous (1) Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act 2005 • Repeals/extends EPA litter controls and offences (£2.5k to £20k) • Fly tipping penalties (£50k, 5 yrs) and landowner cost recovery • Artificial light and insects – statutory nuisances • Audible intruder alarms – key holder required • Provides for regulations requiring construction site waste management plans IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  11. Waste - Miscellaneous (2) Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2005 IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  12. Green Procurement BRE Green Guides to Specification • Now cover health, educational and retail premises • www.bre.co.uk/greenguide/update TransportEnergy (part of Energy Saving Trust) • Best practice guide to greening your fleet • www.est.org.uk Public sector Timber Procurement Helpline • To assist in purchase of sustainable timber • Operated by ProForest IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

  13. Summary • Any questions • Topics for future sessions? • Feedback forms • Presentations available on the website IEMA Yorkshire & Humber Region

More Related